Leander Paes inched closer towards completing a ‘Career Slam’ in Mixed Doubles — winning all four Grand Slams over the course of a career — but he finds compatriot Sania Mirza in his way as the two Indian players reached the finals of the French Open with their respective partners.
Paes, who is incredibly continuing to play at the highest level into his 40s, already has the ‘Career Slam’ in Men’s Doubles!
Playing their semi-finals simultaneously, the pair of pairs raked up equally tough wins to set up a marquee clash in the final.
While Paes and Hingis overcame the challenge of Andrea Hlavackova and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-3, 3-6, 10-7, Mirza and partner Ivan Dodig, seeded second at the tournament, beat French pairing of Kristina Mladenovic and Pierre-Hugues Herbert 4-6, 6-3, 12-10.
While Paes has nine mixed doubles crowns, Sania has won three in her career, the latest being 2014 US Open with her then partner Soares. Paes and Hingis have been on a roll over the past year, winning three Grand Slams in 2015, but the French Open mixed doubles title continued to elude Paes.
He now has one more chance to rectify that.
The big final is on Friday, June 06th. And we can’t wait to see which Indian star will lift the trophy!
Featured image source: PTI